Eric Carle is a prolific author
and illustrator whose pictures are collages.
Collages
are pictures made from putting pieces together to create a new whole.
Carle didnít invent the idea of using collage to illustrate children's
books. Artists like Leo Lion and Ezra Jack Keats made collages to
illustrate their books. Before book illustrators began to use the
technique of collage in the 1950's, the art technique of collage
was made famous by artists like Matisse
and Picasso.

Mr. Carle begins with plain white tissue paper and paints it with different
colors. He uses acrylics, rather than water colors or oil paint.
He uses many different tools to paint his tissue paper. Sometimes
he uses his fingers, brushes, sponges, burlap, or a piece of carpet.
The sponges, burlap and carpet are used to stamp the papers to create different
textures. Scissors are used to cut the paper into the desired shape
and wallpaper paste glues the shapes onto a bigger illustration board to
make the final picture.

For the pictures Eric Carle used to illustrate the cover for The Very
Hungry Caterpillar the tissue paper was cut into ellipses to make the
body. But something else makes the caterpillar's hair. Look
at the book's title and Eric Carle's name. What other tools did Eric Carle
use to "finish" his picture?

An engaging website that offers insight into "the anatomy" of a children's
picture book, various artistic media and styles, and numerous high quality
resources, visit Picturing
Books. This site offers a list of criteria
for evaluating the story line, illustrations, design, and overall physical
aspects of children's books that help parents and teachers make good decisions
as they select children's literature for their homes and classrooms.

The American
Library Association and its member units seek to honor, through
itsmany awards programs, individuals
who have rendereddistinguished service to
libraries and librarianship.

Check out Opportunities
& Honors to see what awards are availableat the American Library
Association, in addition to those listed below.